Assessment of: Benzene, Toluene Ethylbenzene, Xylene in Water and Sediments from Itu, Ibeno and Ibaka River Estuary of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Some aromatics often enter the environment due to accidental oil spills, leakage and improper oil-related waste disposal. It therefore becomes imperative to assess pollution of water and sediments by Benzene Tuolene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene in coastal water bodies of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) technique was used to trace BTEX in samples. Gas chromatographic analyses were realized with a Varian 450 GC instrument equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and Programmed Temperature Vapourizer ( PTV) detector. VF-1ms capillary column (30 m x 0.33 mm x 0.25 μm) was used to isolate and determine BTEX. The result shows that: for total BTEX concentration in the sampled rivers, Itu recorded the highest concentration (4.4546ppm), followed by Ibeno river (3.2388ppm) the least concentration of Total BTEX (2.9310ppm) was recorded in Ibaka river. In terms of total BTEX concentration in the sediments, Ibeno recorded the highest concentration (6.9437ppm), followed by Itu river with (5.3820ppm) while the least concentration of total BTEX (4.2986ppm) was recorded at Ibaka river. The Anova shows that the value of the highest concentration of Benzene (0.0490ppm) obtained from Ibeno was significantly (Pless than0.05) higher than the values obtained in Ibaka (0.0321ppm) and Itu surface water (0.0242ppm). The Anova equally shows that the value of Benzene concentration (0.0321ppm) obtained from Ibaka river was significantly (Pless than0.05) higher than the level of concentration of Benzene (0.0242ppm) obtained from Itu.